B-135631, APR. 4, 1958
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 25. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER. WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $250. A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO THE COMPANY REQUESTING THEM TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM THEIR BID PRICE ON THIS JOB. THE ERROR IN BID WAS CONFIRMED BY THE COMPANY IN A LETTER DATED MARCH 19. EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS THEIR INTENTION TO QUOTE $23.40 PER THOUSAND BUT THAT IN TRANSFERRING THESE FIGURES TO YOUR QUOTATION FORMS. A SIMPLE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR WAS MADE ENTERING $23.40 PER THOUSAND AS $13.40 PER THOUSAND AND THAT IT SUBMITTED ITS SHEET WHICH SHOWS THAT THE INTENDED BID PRICE WAS $23.40 PER THOUSAND.
B-135631, APR. 4, 1958
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 25, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR THE CHICAGO DECALCEMANIA CO. ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID DATED MARCH 8, 1958.
YOU STATE THAT ON MARCH 6, 1958, YOUR OFFICE ADVERTISED FOR PRICES ON THE PRODUCTION OF 9,000 WATER-APPLIED DECALCOMANIAS, INVOLVING FIVE DIFFERENT ITEMS, THE IMAGE SIZE 8 BY 2 1/2 INCHES, PRODUCED IN TWO COLORS, FOR COMPLETE SHIPMENT ON OR BEFORE MAY 7, 1958. IN RESPONSE THERETO THE CHICAGO DECALCOMANIA CO. SUBMITTED A BID OF $13.40 PER THOUSAND, DATED MARCH 3, 1958. SEVEN OTHER BIDS RECEIVED RANGED IN PRICE FROM $216 TO $560.
YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, HE NOTED THAT THE BID FROM CHICAGO DECALCOMANIA CO. WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $250.
YOU FURTHER STATE THAT ON MARCH 19, 1958, A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO THE COMPANY REQUESTING THEM TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM THEIR BID PRICE ON THIS JOB; AND THAT THE BIDDER REPLIED BY TELEGRAM ON THE SAME DAY AND REQUESTED THAT THEIR BID BE CHANGED TO READ $23.40 PER THOUSAND. THE ERROR IN BID WAS CONFIRMED BY THE COMPANY IN A LETTER DATED MARCH 19, 1958, AND EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS THEIR INTENTION TO QUOTE $23.40 PER THOUSAND BUT THAT IN TRANSFERRING THESE FIGURES TO YOUR QUOTATION FORMS, A SIMPLE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR WAS MADE ENTERING $23.40 PER THOUSAND AS $13.40 PER THOUSAND AND THAT IT SUBMITTED ITS SHEET WHICH SHOWS THAT THE INTENDED BID PRICE WAS $23.40 PER THOUSAND.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE APPEARS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE BIDDER MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ERROR IN BID WAS NOTED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IMMEDIATELY UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BIDS AND THE BIDDER HAS CONFIRMED AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THE BID OF DECALCOMANIA CO. MAY BE DISREGARDED.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LETTER FROM THE BIDDER DATED MARCH 19, 1958, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.